NASCAR Race Rescheduled After Grounding of Team Charters
Mexico City, June 14, 2025 – What was to be a historic weekend as NASCAR embarks on its inaugural Cup Series race outside the United States in Mexico City hit a major wrinkle early Saturday, when two chartered flights carrying team members from Charlotte were forced to abort takeoff, triggering widespread travel delays and leaving several teams stranded.
✈️ The Incident
According to AP News, a loud “BOOM!” greets one flight’s aborted takeoff, forcing both it and a second charter plane to go back to the gate. Chase Briscoe’s hauler and those of other Cup and Xfinity teams were delayed, leaving many team members stuck in Charlotte overnight .
Shane Van Gisbergen detailed the chaotic scene, saying:
“Pretty scary when the plane launched itself on take‑off; they stopped and were trying to just get another plane.”
📅 Schedule Shake‑Up
In response, NASCAR officials announced Friday’s on‑track schedule at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez would be reworked:
Both Xfinity Series practice sessions moved from Friday to early Saturday. Cup Series activities (two practice sessions) pushed later into Friday afternoon. Saturday would see Xfinity qualifying at 10:10 a.m. local time and Cup qualifying at 12:05 p.m., with the Xfinity main event scheduled in the evening .
NASCAR emphasized that Sunday’s Cup Cup race remains unchanged.
🧩 Coping with the Stress
Engineers, crew, and even NBC communications staff had to pitch into loading and preparing the cars. While this reshuffle may affect preparation time for Xfinity teams, Cup competitors are expected to experience minimal impact .
🏎 Adaptation in Action
Shane Van Gisbergen, sitting on the pole for Sunday’s Cup feature, summed it up:
“You can’t predict that kind of stuff happening… I’m already focused on (racing). Obviously not ideal, but it happened and we fixed it.”
📌 Why This Matters
These adjustments reflect NASCAR’s flexibility—moving road-course and high-profile events internationally adds layers of complexity. For fans, on-track times are shifting, so it’s vital to check updated schedules. Team-performance could be slightly affected by reduced practice, especially for less experienced Xfinity teams.
Bottom Line: A sudden charter-plane malfunction originating from Charlotte forced NASCAR to reshuffle key sessions at Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. While the Sunday race remains intact, fans and teams must contend with a compressed prep schedule. NASCAR has handled it swiftly—but the weekend’s intensity is ramping up.
If you’d like more details—like updated broadcast times, driver reactions, or how the turnaround impacts Xfinity teams—I can dive deeper!
